Munich, June 9 (H.S.): Under the leadership of Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal once again made history by claiming the UEFA Nations League title. In an exciting final match played on Sunday, Portugal defeated Spain 5-3 in a penalty shootout. Both teams were tied at 2-2 at the end of regular time.Ronaldo equalized the scoreThe match started in favor of Spain when, in the 21st minute, Martin Zubimendi scored his second international goal, giving the team a 1-0 lead. However, Portugal quickly made a comeback, with Nuno Mendes scoring a brilliant goal with Ronaldo’s assistance to equalize the score at 1-1.Pedri’s brilliance and Ronaldo’s responseSpain regained the lead before the end of the first half. Midfielder Pedri made a fantastic pass, allowing Mikel Oyarzabal to score and give the team a 2-1 advantage.

However, in the second half, Ronaldo once again seized the opportunity, scoring his 138th international goal to bring Portugal back to parity.Spain faltered in the shootout, Portugal emerged victoriousIn the final moments of the match, Ronaldo was injured and left the field. Even in extra time, neither team was able to gain an advantage, leading to a penalty shootout. Here, Spain’s Alvaro Morata missed his penalty, while Portugal converted all five of their penalties. The final kick was taken by Ruben Neves, making Portugal the Nations League champion for the second time.

After the victory, Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t hold back his tears. This could possibly be his last major tournament, and he became emotional by leading the team to the trophy. Even at the age of 40, his passion and performance remained inspiring for fans.Spain’s unbeaten streak endedSpain reached the final by defeating France 5-4 in the semifinals and had remained unbeaten since March 2023. After winning the Euro 2024 title, this was their second consecutive major final, but this time they had to face defeat against Ronaldo and Portugal.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar